1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a navigation system. The navigation system searches for coordinates based on an input of a telephone number, displays a map and executes a point setting i.e., a located.
2. Description of Related Art
A vehicle navigation system for searching a point corresponding to an input telephone number and displaying a map with the searched point located at its center has been used. The system displays a map, with a point of an entrepreneur located at its center, corresponding to a telephone number. However, if the telephone number belongs to a private home, displaying the located of the private number may be discouraged based on the privacy of the subscriber. In order to allow the subscriber some privacy, a map with a representative point located in a general area to which a corresponding private home belongs (ex. Koaza levelxe2x80x94a small area of village), with the point located at the center of the map is displayed, or facilities (a police station, a department store etc.) located in an area generally surrounding the corresponding private home is stored with the facilities matched with a group of private homes so that a map with the facility matching a telephone number is displayed.
However, when a wrong telephone number is input, a map is displayed with the same representative point located at its center as long as the telephone number belongs to the same Koaza (a small area of village). Thus, it is difficult for the user to search a private home while only using a map with a representative point of an area located at its center since the extent of the area can be large depending on the area selected. Further, if a proximate number of facilities is used as data points corresponding to a respective number of private homes, the proximate facilities (data) given to all of the private homes can consist of tens of millions of private homes as guide points, thus increasing the amount of data required.
The invention displays a map with a general point located at its center corresponding to an input of a telephone number of a private home without precisely displaying the located of the private home.
The invention separately determines the located of a desired private home within a limited box even if a map with a point corresponding to an input of a telephone number of a private home is not displayed.
In various exemplary embodiments of a navigation system for searching coordinates based on an input of a telephone number, displaying a map and setting a point, the navigation system includes a memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number, input means for inputting a telephone number, search means for searching for a subscriber and coordinates based on the input of the telephone number, coordinates setting means for setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates and control means for displaying a map with the specific coordinates searched by the coordinates setting means located at its center on a condition that a subscriber searched by the search means is a specific classified subscriber.
Further, the specific coordinates are coordinates in which respective arbitrary digit numbers of the searched coordinates are changed to zero or the numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number. The specific coordinates are also coordinates in which the searched coordinates values are changed, coordinates of an intersection closest to the searched coordinates, or coordinates of a specific facility closest to the searched coordinates.
In another exemplary embodiment of a navigation system for searching coordinates based on an input of a telephone number, displaying a map based on the coordinates and setting a point, the navigation system includes a memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data, input means for inputting a telephone number, a search means for searching for coordinates stored in the stored memory means based on the input of the telephone number from the input means, area setting means for setting a predetermined area inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means, and control means for displaying a map inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means and displaying on the map the area set by the area setting means as being distinguishable from other areas.
In another exemplary embodiment of a navigation system, the navigation system comprises coordinate setting means for setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates and control means for displaying a map with the set specific coordinates located at its center. The specific coordinates are coordinates in which values of the searched coordinates are changed or coordinates of a specific facility closest to the searched coordinates. A search means searches for an address from information on the subscriber stored in a memory means based on the telephone number input by an input means. The coordinate setting means sets coordinates of a representative point of a predetermined address level of the searched address as the specific coordinates. The predetermined area is an area of the map inclusive of the specific coordinates or area set based on the population density, regions, or the number of private homes or buildings in a given area. If information on the subscriber searched by the search means is on a classified specific subscriber, the control means displays a map inclusive of coordinates of the classified specific subscriber and displays on the map the area set by the area setting means as being distinguishable to other areas and if information on the subscriber is not on a classified specific subscriber, it further displays a map with coordinates of the subscriber located at its center.
In another exemplary embodiment of a navigation system for searching for coordinates based on an input of a telephone number, displaying a map based on coordinates and setting a point, the navigation system comprises a memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data, input means for inputting a telephone number, search means for searching for coordinates stored in the stored memory means based on the input of the telephone number from the input means, area setting means for setting a predetermined area inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means, present position detecting means for detecting a present position, and control means for displaying a map inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means and the predetermined area set by the area setting means, and for displaying on the map the present position detected by present position detecting means.
The control means displays on the map the predetermined area set by the area setting means as distinguishable from other areas, and if the present position detected by the present position detecting means is located out of the predetermined area, the control means moves the map in order to show the present position located at its center. Further, the control means displays on the map the predetermined area set by the area setting means as distinguishable from other areas, and if the present position detected by the present position detecting means is located within the predetermined area, the control means fixes the map with the predetermined area located at its center on a screen and displays a map thereon. The control means further divides a screen into a two-part screen and displays a map with the present position detected by the present position detecting means located at its center respectively on the respective parts of the screen.